Guest Post: Dina Chavez from SixChel on Receiving a Compliment

Welcome to our first guest post with the fabulous Texas couture designer Dina Chavez from SixChel!

Dina’s couture looks worked the free flow, digital runway at the Full Tilt Formula 1 Fashion Show in 2016.

“You are beautiful from the tips of your toes to the depths of your soul”. – Anonymous

The Best and Most Important Part of Your Day: Receiving a Compliment

You wake up in the morning, leave your house in a hurry, your mind is fixated on the kids, work or your daily itinerary with little thought or conviction that you are wearing the best outfit to put you in the right frame of mind. Sitting in your car, you are second guessing the shoes you’re wearing or telling yourself, “I should have worn the other top”, and without thought when your grabbing your second coffee of the day, you hear the best words you could hear at that moment, “Wow, don’t you look beautiful today.” Hearing these words made your day better and will make the next WORK day even greater.

I know all too well what it feels like to be sitting in a meeting and thinking, “I should have worn my hair down. I should not have worn this necklace. It’s too flashy; or I should have worn the comfortable shoes.” Though, it seems to be shallow, it truly isn’t. I for one believe that as a society, we care TOO much about our appearance and not enough about our brains.

However, feeling confident is important and let’s face it, if we do not feel comfortable in our appearance, we may lack the confidence we need to tackle on the day.

In my younger years when I was a student, I experienced for the first time the power of complimenting. I was living in Austin and having a terrible day. It was customary to drive my car with the windows rolled down to enjoy the beautiful weather, and as I pulled up to the stop light, a homeless man was standing on the corner with a sign asking for help. Quickly, I grabbed a handful of change and a bill to give to him. He said something to make me laugh and he responded with, “You are just that more beautiful when you smile.”

Here I was thinking I was having this horrible day, and this man, homeless and with little or no physical possessions, had just given me the most enjoyable part of my day along with a memory I would hold onto for a long time. I remember thinking how great I felt after that. Just the idea that someone else was seeing the good in me made me feel radiant and noteworthy.

As I began to pay this sentiment forward by complimenting others, it has grown on me. Just to see a person with an unpleasant look or ugly attitude can turn themselves around and become happy with a compliment is gratifying. There is so much negativity and ugliness in the world. It does not hurt to try to spread positivity, and try to make someone else feel better about themselves. We never know what someone else is going through or what a terrible day they have had, and the notion that one compliment can lift their spirits is amazing. I encourage you to be aware of this notion and promote confidence in one another.

Oh, and if you are a boss woman, or in charge of a group of others, compliments help with a more productive day, following the day of the compliment. Wait…WHAT?!?!?! Yes, according to study’s performed by the National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Nagoya Institute of Technology, and the University of Tokyo amongst others (medicaldaily.com, 11/9/12), people who receive compliments will perform better the next day. For example, if you are a teacher, compliment your students, the next day they will be more productive.

But, how? Well, receiving a compliment works the same part of the brain (striatum) that making a purchase or getting a cash reward does- and we all now how wonderful we feel after shopping or getting a gift. It gives us a sense of euphoria.

Let’s make our world a more productive, confident and positive place. It is truly a small sentiment that will go a long way. So, give compliments and not only will the person receiving your compliment feel better, but I guarantee you too will feel better when you see the smile you brought to someone’s face.

“How you make others feel about themselves, says a lot about you”. – Kushandwizdom

Who is Dina? Get to know the fashion savvy, badass design queen on the scene:

Dina Chavez is a fashion designer in Austin, TX and works under her own label SixChel, an ethical and sustainable fashion brand for the modern woman. SixChel will be launching it’s first sustainable Capsule Collection made in Brooklyn, NY in March 2017. Sign up at www.sixchelbydinachavez.com to receive discounts and updates.